I have been on the fence about or even disliked some of Rose Tremain’s books, so I wasn’t really looking forward to reading Absolutely & Forever for my Walter Scott Prize Project. I especially wasn’t because I’m not that fond of coming-of-age novels in general. However, I found this little novella to be truly touching and insightful about human emotions. And the coming-of-age part is only the beginning.
It’s the late 1950s and Marianne is 15 years old. She has been in love with beautiful 18-year-old Simon Hurst for some time, and he finally pays attention to her the night of a friend’s party. He has just been given a new Morris Minor car, so he takes her for a ride and they have sex. Marianne says she will love him absolutely and forever.
I thought I knew where this was going, but it wasn’t. Simon and Marianne go off to their respective schools and plan to get married when they are older.
However, Simon fails his Oxford exam. Everyone is shocked, and the next thing Marianne knows, he has moved to Paris to be a writer. Marianne tries to buckle down to her French so that she can move there as soon as possible, but she is clearly not good at studying. Her parents tell her they are certainly not going to allow her to visit Simon in Paris when she is only 15.
Simon’s letters eventually fall off, and in the last one she gets the bad news. Simon has gotten his landlady’s daughter pregnant and married her.
The novella follows Marianne as she grows into womanhood, works at some jobs but seems to have little purpose in life. She marries her good friend Hugo (who I felt was a much better person than Simon). But she continues to love Simon.
The heart wants what it wants is the theme of this touching novel. And it tells the story beautifully, narrated by the distinctive voice of Marianne.
The book blurb hints at some secret, and it’s not very hard to guess. But that’s not the point. I found this book to be wise and deeply touching.
What? Me Read? 
Lol – I was the opposite to you, I love Rose Tremain and was so excited when this book came out that I chose if for our bookclub but I was so disappointed with it. I found it hard to read and it just left me wanting… my review is here: https://yarrabookclub.wordpress.com/2024/09/18/absolutely-forever-rose-tremain/
So glad you enjoyed it though!
That’s too bad.
I’m trying to remember who I was in love with when I was 15. Probably three or four boys in the space of a year, probably with almost zero success in catching any of them! Whoever he/they were, I certainly didn’t remain in love with them for the rest of my life. I find the premise of this one a bit odd, to be honest. Or maybe I am!
Maybe. I think it depends on the people. I was in love with David Hinkamp from 11 to 17. I understand he asked after me at our high school reunion. (I never go, well, it’s almost 1500 miles away.)
I never go to mine either, though they’re only a few miles away! Too depressing to recognise how old we’ve all become… 😉
I went to the tenth just because I was in town and two girlfriends begged me to. But I did not have fun, just like in high school.
I want to read some Rose Tremain and I do love coming of age stories so this sounds like a winner for me -plus I’m enjoying your conversation with FF!!
Oh, good!
I thought this book was touching too, although I felt sorry for poor Hugo! I’m glad you enjoyed it more than some of the other Rose Tremain books you’ve read.
Yes, poor Hugo!
I loved one book I read by Rose Tremain and couldn’t read another. I haven’t gone back to try any of her more recent books!
Thanks for sharing this review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Yeah, she’s like that.